Two years ago, my son Will, then a college freshman, told my
wife, Jane, and me that he is gay. He said he’d known for some
time, and that his sexual orientation wasn’t something he chose;
it was simply a part of who he is. Jane and I were proud of him
for his honesty and courage. We were surprised to learn he is gay
but knew he was still the same person he’d always been. The only
difference was that now we had a more complete picture of the son
we love.

At the time, my position on marriage for same-sex couples was
rooted in my faith tradition that marriage is a sacred bond
between a man and a woman. Knowing that my son is gay prompted me
to consider the issue from another perspective: that of a dad who
wants all three of his kids to lead happy, meaningful lives with
the people they love, a blessing Jane and I have shared for 26
years.

Portman, who was considered a top candidate to be Mitt
Romney's vice presidential nominee, told CNN that he informed Romney of his
son's sexual orientation. But he said it was not a deciding
factor in Romney passing him over for Rep. Paul
Ryan.